An abandoned mine could be the cause of this enormous crater in Galmoy in Kilkenny.
The wild weather we have had in 2014 has thrown up all sorts of misery for us and one of the more peculiar phenomenon has been a spate of sinkholes.
Sinkholes, sudden gaping holes in the ground, are usually caused by the bedrock eroding, often due to heavy rain, which then collapses leaving an opening on the surface. Powerful seas have done their bit to erode the ground underneath roads in
Tramore and
Mayo this year too but this most recent hole is far inland, in Galmoy in Kilkenny to be precise.
RTE posted this picture of the hole which they describe the nine metres deep and 15 metres in circumference. It is near the Galmoy lead and zinc mine and the
Kilkenny People report that the hole is above a shaft of the mine that recently closed.
The owner of the land, Eddie Cavanagh, saw the hole on Saturday, after he and his son had spent some time in the field spreading slurry on Friday.
The hole, and a nearby road, are now sealed off as engineers assess the site.
